This week, our First Impressions readers comment on two engaging new action-driven titles.

Ghost Season by Fatin Abbas, a novel featuring five characters working for an NGO in a Sudanese border town threatened by war, contains elements of mystery and intrigue, while The Nazi Conspiracy by Brad Meltzer and Josh Mensch tells of a possible Nazi plot to kill three world leaders in a nonfiction account that reads like a thriller.

We also have new books for members to request, the latest book news, a quiz on what jobs famous authors did before they were published, and more!

With best wishes,

Davina Morgan-Witts

BookBrowse Publisher

Each month we give away books to BookBrowse members who live in the U.S. to read and review. Here are their opinions on two recently released titles.

"In her first novel, Fatin Abbas pulls together the lives of five very different people against the backdrop of the Sudanese civil war. It is a slim book and a quick read, because the story is so engaging... As the book opens, the main characters are living and working together at an NGO. Alex, a white American aid worker, seems to be the 'odd man out' of the five, at times seeming to refuse to understand the customs of the country in which he has been assigned. His impatience is a hindrance and embarrassment to his translator William, who is trying to guide Alex through the bureaucracy of the Sudanese government. William is discovering that he is deeply in love with the compound cook Layla, and Dena, a Sudanese American filmmaker, struggles with the homeland she barely remembers and the identity she is trying to forge for herself. Intertwined among them is Mustafa...who is working to support his widowed mother and younger brother... As I thought about this story in the weeks after I finished it, I was amazed at how well I felt I knew each of the characters--in a book of only about 300 pages." - Patricia G. (Washington, DC)

"This is a true-to-life story involving the plight of the people in this explosive territory. The false sense of being safe in the NGO compound is confronted by a mysterious find at the start of this book. Then confusion, love, fear and compassion take you to an unexpected place. The friendships, individual personalities, rescue and terror were very real to me as a reader." - Tracy B. (Pittsboro, NC)

"Remember her name, Fatin Abbas. Ghost Season is her debut novel but I anticipate more stories to follow. I could visualize Saraaya, smell the dust, hear the noise of the crowded marketplace and imagine the people. Fatin Abbas's five main characters introduce the reader to Sudan and through a well written story allow us to see the humanity and tragedy and challenges of living in a conflict torn country. These characters will be remembered and invite some great discussion for book clubs." - Barbara O (Redbank, NJ)

"The story centers around a possible Nazi attempt to kill Franklin D. Roosevelt (USA), Winston Churchill (UK), and Joseph Stalin (USSR) while they met at the secret summit of the Big Three in Tehran, Iran in 1943, while WWII was raging. The book details the history of these three different men, how their countries were plunged into the war, the decisions they made to work together to strategically end WWII, and the pressure this war put upon them mentally, emotionally, and physically. In parallel, Franz Mayr, a Nazi spy in Iran, upon finding out about this meeting, hatched a secret assassination plot that would have altered the course of the war and rewritten history. The book is easy to follow, with a clear and concise narration of the story that skillfully relates the drama and suspense involved, making it seem like a historical thriller rather than a history book. I enjoyed the book and recommend it if you are interested in WWII, politics, and a story that moves fast and never lets up. " - Anke V. (Portland, OR)

"This book hooked me from the beginning... The intrigue around if the conspiracy was real and the thoughts around why it may or may not have been is fascinating, including the ideas of gamemanship on everyone's side. I think this...would provide plenty of fuel for book club discussions. And you don't have to be a WWII fan to enjoy this book." - Vicky S. (Salinas, CA)

"I am not a major history fan and usually find it difficult to get through nonfiction books, but this is the exception to the rule. It reads like a novel...short exciting chapters and simultaneous timelines... If you have an interest in WWII but find history books boring, then this is the book for you." - Nancy C. (The Villages, FL)

Members! This month's First Impressions and Book Club books are now available to request. Offer closes end of Saturday Jan 14.

Books are provided free of charge to BookBrowse members resident in the U.S. with the understanding that they'll do their best to either write a short review or take part in an online discussion forum (depending on whether the book is assigned for First Impressions or the Book Club). Members who choose to take part generally receive a book about every 3-4 months.

Not yet a member? Free books from our monthly First Impressions and Book Club offers are one of the many benefits of a BookBrowse membership. If you've interested in becoming a member, or renewing a lapsed membership, and do so before end of this Saturday (the 14th), you'll have the opportunity to request the book of your choice from these six titles. If you request just one title you have a very good chance of receiving it; if you request two or more titles, you will definitely receive one of them.

In addition to offering plenty of general info for keeping up with the latest great books, BookBrowse also has a special section dedicated to resources for book clubs.

On our Book Club Central page (which is accessible from the "Book Clubs" tab on the top menu bar), you can browse our current top-viewed book club books with accompanying reading guides, our ongoing book discussions, many interviews we've conducted with all kinds of book groups over the years, advice and more!

Do you know what Harper Lee, Kurt Vonnegut and Vladimir Nabokov did for a living before they found their place in the world as published writers?

Test your knowledge of what unexpected day jobs these and other well-known authors held before they became the writers you know them as today with our Before They Were Famous Authors Quiz.

Discussions are open to all, so please join us! If you would like to receive a message when a particular discussion opens, you can sign up for a one-time notification.

You can also find inspiration for your book club among around 200 past discussions.